Control method of substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a control method of a substrate processing apparatus capable of performing additional film formation after a processing scheme is interrupted. A method for controlling a substrate processing apparatus capable of performing a film formation process on a substrate according to a processing scheme, the method being characterized by including: when an interruption occurs midway in the processing scheme, creating an additional film formation scheme in accordance with a timing at which the interruption occurs; and a step of controlling the substrate processing apparatus so that additional film formation is performed on the substrate according to the additional film formation scheme.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control method for a substrate processing apparatus. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing method, which includes: an interruption step of interrupting the substrate processing step when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus during the period from the start of the pretreatment step to before the start of the substrate processing step; and a restart step of performing the steps in the order of the pretreatment step and the substrate processing step after the abnormality is eliminated. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a substrate processing apparatus that performs substrate processing according to a plan.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-19095

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-64020 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] In one aspect, the present invention provides a control method for a substrate processing apparatus capable of performing additional film formation after interruption of a processing plan.

[0009] Means for Solving the Technical Problem

[0010] To solve the above technical problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a substrate processing apparatus capable of performing film formation processing on a substrate according to a processing plan, the control method of the substrate processing apparatus being characterized by including: a step of creating an additional film formation plan corresponding to the time when the interruption occurs when an interruption occurs in the middle of the processing plan; and a step of controlling the substrate processing apparatus to perform additional film formation on the substrate according to the additional film formation plan.

[0011] Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a control method for a substrate processing apparatus capable of performing additional film formation after interruption of a processing plan. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a substrate processing system.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a flowchart showing an example of a substrate processing method.

[0015] Description of Reference Numerals

[0016] 1 Substrate processing system, 2 Substrate processing apparatus, 3 Optimization apparatus, 4 Communication mechanism, 20 Control apparatus, 21 Control unit, 22 Interruption determination unit, 23 Input unit, 24 Output unit, 31 Additional film formation plan creation unit, 32 Storage unit, 32a Processing plan, 32b Additional film formation plan. Detailed Implementation Manner

[0017] Next, a manner for implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings, sometimes the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0018] [Substrate processing system]

[0019] First, Figure 1 An example of the structure of the substrate processing system 1 of the present embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of the substrate processing system 1.

[0020] The substrate processing system 1 includes a substrate processing apparatus 2 and an optimization apparatus 3.

[0021] The substrate processing apparatus 2 is an apparatus that performs a desired process (such as a film formation process, etc.) on a substrate. In the following description, an example where the substrate processing apparatus 2 is a film formation apparatus that performs a desired film formation process on a substrate will be described. The substrate processing apparatus 2 can be, for example, a film formation apparatus that supplies a processing gas into a processing container accommodating a substrate support portion for supporting a substrate to perform a desired film formation process on the substrate. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 2 can be a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus or an ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) apparatus. Additionally, the substrate processing apparatus 2 can be, for example, a film formation apparatus that generates a plasma of a processing gas in a processing container to perform a desired film formation process on a substrate. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 2 can be a PE-CVD (Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus or a PE-ALD (Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition) apparatus. Moreover, the substrate processing apparatus 2 can be, for example, a film formation apparatus that sputters a target provided in a processing container to perform a desired film formation process on a substrate. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 2 can be a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) apparatus. Furthermore, the film formation method of the substrate processing apparatus 2 is not limited to these.

[0022] The substrate processing apparatus 2 includes a control device 20. The control device 20 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an auxiliary storage device, etc. The CPU operates based on a program stored in the ROM or the auxiliary storage device, and controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 2.

[0023] The optimization device 3 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an auxiliary storage device, etc. The CPU operates based on a program stored in the ROM or the auxiliary storage device, and creates a plan for the substrate processing apparatus 2 (processing plan 32a, additional film formation plan 32b).

[0024] The optimization device 3 is connected to the control device 20 of the substrate processing apparatus 2 through a communication unit 4 such as wired or wireless. For example, the optimization device 3 sends a plan (processing plan 32a, additional film formation plan 32b) to the control device 20 of the substrate processing apparatus 2 via the communication unit 4. The control device 20 of the substrate processing apparatus 2 controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 2 based on the plan, thereby performing a desired process on the substrate.

[0025] The control device 20 of the substrate processing apparatus 2 includes a control unit 21, an interruption determination unit 22, an input unit 23, and an output unit 24.

[0026] The control unit 21 can control the substrate processing apparatus 2 according to a plan (processing plan 32a, additional film formation plan 32b). Thereby, a desired film is formed on the substrate.

[0027] The interruption determination unit 22 is used to determine whether an interruption occurs in the middle of the plan in the substrate processing apparatus 2 controlled according to the plan.

[0028] The input unit 23 is configured to enable an operator to input an operation. The input unit 23 can be, for example, an input device that can be operated by the operator.

[0029] The output unit 24 is used to output various information, etc. The output unit 24 can be, for example, a display device that can visually display various information, etc.

[0030] The optimization device 3 includes an additional film formation plan creation unit 31 and a storage unit 32.

[0031] The additional film formation plan production unit 31 is used to produce the additional film formation plan 32b. In addition, the production of the additional film formation plan 32b will be described later.

[0032] In the storage unit 32, the processing plan 32a for substrate processing is stored. In addition, the additional film formation plan 32b produced by the additional film formation plan production unit 31 is stored in the storage unit 32. In addition, the log of the substrate processing apparatus 2 output from the control device 20 via the communication unit 4 is also stored in the storage unit 32.

[0033] Next, an example of the operation of the optimization device 3 will be described. In the processing plan 32a, the conditions required for substrate processing (such as control values of temperature, gas flow rate, pressure, time, etc.) are preset in advance. The control unit 21 controls the substrate processing apparatus 2 according to the processing plan 32a. Thereby, a desired film can be formed on the substrate.

[0034] However, when the substrate processing apparatus 2 performs a film formation process on a substrate, the processing plan may be aborted for various reasons (such as abnormal sensor values, timeouts, etc.). A substrate on which the interruption process of the processing plan has been executed after the start of the film formation process is determined to be a substrate in a state where it is not clear whether the film formation process has been completed (hereinafter also referred to as a gray state). A substrate determined to be in a gray state cannot be transported to the next step of the film formation step.

[0035] Here, for a substrate determined to be in a gray state, the surface state of the substrate is measured, and a determination is made as to whether to discard the substrate or perform a recovery process. Furthermore, for a substrate determined to perform a recovery process, a determination is made as to whether to etch the surface of the substrate and start the film formation process again from the beginning, or to perform an additional film formation process on the substrate, and the determined process is performed on the substrate.

[0036] In addition, when it is determined to perform an additional film formation process on the substrate, it is required to produce an additional film formation plan corresponding to the time when the interruption process occurred. In addition, the production of the additional film formation plan is not simply to adjust the film formation time or execute the remaining part of the processing plan after the interruption occurs. For example, in order to execute the remaining part of the processing plan after the interruption after reproducing the temperature before the interruption, it is necessary to consider the change in the flowing gas (for example, the change from the film formation gas to an inert gas (N2 gas), etc.). Especially in a processing plan where film formation is performed while the temperature is decreasing or increasing, such consideration is required. Therefore, it is difficult to produce an additional film formation plan except for experienced engineers.

[0037] Next, use Figure 2 The control method of the substrate processing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0038] In step S101, process plan 32a is executed. Here, process plan 32a is sent from the optimization device 3 to the control device 20 and stored in the ROM or auxiliary storage device of the control device 20. The control unit 21 controls the substrate processing device 2 according to process plan 32a stored in the ROM or auxiliary storage device of the control device 20.

[0039] In step S102, it is judged whether an interruption has occurred. Here, the interruption judgment unit 22 judges whether an interruption has occurred in the substrate processing device 2. In the case where no interruption has occurred (S102: "No"), the processing of the control device 20 returns to step S101, and the substrate processing device 2 continues to be controlled according to process plan 32a. In addition, in the case where no interruption has occurred and process plan 32a ends and a desired film has been formed on the substrate, the processing of the control device 20 shown Figure 2 is ended.

[0040] In the case where an interruption has occurred (S102: "Yes"), the processing of the control device 20 proceeds to step S103. In addition, it may be configured such that in the case where an interruption has occurred, a warning display or the like is displayed on the output unit 24.

[0041] In step S103, it is judged whether additional film formation can be performed on the substrate. Here, the operator confirms the state of the substrate surface (for example, the state of particles attached to the substrate surface, etc.). In addition, the operator confirms whether there is any abnormality in the substrate processing device 2, whether there is any abnormality in the substrate, etc. Then, the operator inputs via the input unit 23 whether additional film formation can be performed on the substrate to the control device 20 and sends it from the control device 20 to the optimization device 3 via the communication unit 4. The optimization device 3 judges whether additional film formation can be performed on the substrate based on the input result of the operator. In the case where it is judged that additional film formation cannot be performed (S103: "No"), the processing of the optimization device 3 is ended. That is, the substrate is discarded.

[0042] In the case where it is judged that additional film formation can be performed (S103: "Yes"), the processing of the optimization device 3 proceeds to step S104.

[0043] In step S104, it is determined whether the interruption occurred during the film formation step. The optimization device 3 determines whether the interruption occurred during the film formation step based on the log of the substrate processing device 2 stored in the storage unit 32. Here, the processing scenario 32a includes: a film formation step of forming a desired film on the substrate; a pre-treatment step performed before the film formation step; and a post-treatment step performed after the film formation step. When the interruption did not occur during the film formation step (S104: "No"), the processing of the optimization device 3 returns to step S101. Here, when an interruption occurred during the pre-treatment step before the film formation step is executed, the processing scenario 32a is executed again (S101). In addition, when an interruption occurred during the post-treatment step after the film formation step is executed, the processing of the optimization device 3 shown in Figure 2 is ended.

[0044] When the interruption occurred during the film formation step (S104: "Yes"), the processing of the optimization device 3 proceeds to step S105.

[0045] In step S105, it is determined whether additional film formation is to be performed on the substrate. Here, the operator inputs via the input unit 23 whether to perform additional film formation to the control device 20, and sends it from the control device 20 to the optimization device 3 via the communication unit 4. The optimization device 3 determines whether to perform additional film formation on the substrate based on the input result of the operator. When it is determined not to perform additional film formation (S105: "No"), the processing of the optimization device 3 is ended. That is, the substrate is discarded.

[0046] When it is determined to perform additional film formation (S105: "Yes"), the processing of the optimization device 3 proceeds to step S106.

[0047] In step S106, it is determined whether the substrate is present in the substrate processing device 2. The optimization device 3 determines whether the substrate is present in the substrate processing device 2 based on the status information of the substrate transfer device (not shown). When the substrate is present in the substrate processing device 2 (S106: "Yes"), the processing of the optimization device 3 proceeds to step S108. When the substrate is not present in the substrate processing device 2 (S106: "No"), the processing of the optimization device 3 proceeds to step S107.

[0048] In step S107, the optimization device 3 controls the substrate transfer device (not shown) to transfer the substrate into the substrate processing device 2. Then, the processing of the optimization device 3 proceeds to step S108.

[0049] In step S108, an additional film formation plan 32b is created. Here, the additional film formation plan creation unit 31 automatically creates the additional film formation plan 32b corresponding to the interruption time and stores it in the storage unit 32.

[0050] The additional film formation plan creation unit 31 first determines where the film formation step was at the time of interruption corresponding to the interruption time. Specifically, the additional film formation plan creation unit 31 uses at least any one of the log of the substrate processing apparatus 2 stored in the storage unit 32, the measurement results of various measuring instruments (actual sensors) in the substrate processing apparatus 2, the measurement results of virtual metrology (virtual sensors) in the substrate processing apparatus 2, the measurement data of the substrate surface (for example, the measurement data of the substrate surface in step S103), etc., to determine where the film formation step of the processing plan 32a was at the time of interruption. In addition, as the log of the substrate processing apparatus 2 stored in the storage unit 32, it includes the interruption time, temperature, processing gas flow rate, progress of the film formation step, time when the step has been executed, etc. As the measurement data detected by the actual sensors in the substrate processing apparatus 2, it includes film thickness information, pressure, temperature, etc. As the measurement data detected by the virtual sensors in the substrate processing apparatus 2, it includes virtual film thickness, virtual temperature, etc. As the measurement data of the substrate surface, it includes film thickness information, surface roughness, number of particles on the substrate surface, etc.

[0051] Then, the additional film formation plan creation unit 31 automatically creates the additional film formation plan 32b based on the determination result of where the film formation step was at the time of interruption and stores it in the storage unit 32.

[0052] In step S109, the additional film formation plan 32b is executed. Here, the additional film formation plan 32b is sent from the optimization device 3 to the control device 20 and stored in the ROM or auxiliary storage device of the control device 20. The control unit 21 controls the substrate processing apparatus 2 according to the additional film formation plan 32b stored in the ROM or auxiliary storage device of the control device 20.

[0053] In step S110, the additional film formation plan 32b is deleted. Here, the control device 20 deletes the additional film formation plan 32b stored in the ROM or auxiliary storage device. In addition, the optimization device 3 deletes the additional film formation plan 32b from the storage unit 32.

[0054] As described above, according to the control method of the substrate processing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, by the operator's instruction (S105: "Yes"), the additional film formation plan 32b can be automatically created (step S108) and the additional film formation plan 32b can be executed (step S109).

[0055] Accordingly, it is possible to perform additional film formation on the portions where film formation could not be achieved due to interruption to supplement the film, and it is possible to form a desired film on the substrate. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of discarded substrates. In addition, it is possible to reduce the environmental load caused by the discarded substrates.

[0056] In addition, the optimization device 3 automatically creates an additional film formation plan 32b. Accordingly, even without an experienced engineer, it is possible to perform additional film formation on the substrate. In addition, it is possible to reduce the risk of human setting errors (such as setting of gas type, setting of time, etc.) when creating the additional film formation plan 32b. In addition, by giving an instruction once by the operator, the creation and execution of the additional film formation plan 32b are performed, thereby reducing the burden on the operator.

[0057] Furthermore, the substrate processing system 1 may include a plurality of substrate processing devices 2 and one optimization device 3. In addition, the substrate processing device 2 (first substrate processing device) where interruption has occurred and the substrate processing device 2 (second substrate processing device) that performs additional film formation may be different devices. In this case, the gray substrate sent out from the substrate processing device 2 where interruption has occurred can track the position (conveying destination) of the substrate through the ID of the FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that stores the substrate. The gray substrate is conveyed to another substrate processing device 2 that performs additional film formation (refer to step S107).

[0058] In addition, the optimization device 3 creates an additional film formation plan 32b based on the log of the substrate processing device 2 (first substrate processing device) where interruption has occurred (refer to step S108). Then, the optimization device 3 sends the additional film formation plan 32b to the control device 20 of another substrate processing device 2 (second substrate processing device) that performs additional film formation via the communication unit 4. Then, the control device 20 of another substrate processing device 2 (second substrate processing device) controls another substrate processing device 2 according to the additional film formation plan 32b for performing additional film formation (refer to step S109). Then, the additional film formation plan 32b stored in the ROM or auxiliary storage device of the control device 20 of another substrate processing device 2 (second substrate processing device) is deleted. In addition, the additional film formation plan 32b is deleted from the storage unit 32 of the optimization device 3. Accordingly, even if the substrate processing device where interruption has occurred and the substrate processing device that performs additional film formation are different devices, it is possible to perform additional film formation on the gray substrate using the additional film formation plan 32b.

[0059] In addition, the above description has been given for the case where the control device 20 of the optimization device 3 and the substrate processing device 2 are separately provided, but it is not limited to this structure. It is also possible that an additional film formation plan creation unit 31 and a storage unit 32 are provided in the control device 20 of the substrate processing device 2. Moreover, the substrate processing system 1 includes a plurality of substrate processing devices 2, and the control devices 20 of the respective substrate processing devices 2 are connected to the control devices 20 of other substrate processing devices 2 through the communication unit 4.

[0060] In this structure, it is possible that the control device 20 of the substrate processing device 2 (the first substrate processing device) in which the interruption has occurred creates an additional film formation plan 32b, and the additional film formation plan 32b is sent from the control device 20 of the substrate processing device 2 (the first substrate processing device) in which the interruption has occurred to the control device 20 of another substrate processing device 2 (the second substrate processing device) that performs the additional film formation. Then, the control device 20 of the other substrate processing device 2 (the second substrate processing device) controls the other substrate processing device 2 according to the additional film formation plan 32b for performing the additional film formation (refer to step S109). The additional film formation plan 32b stored in the ROM or the auxiliary storage device of the control device 20 of the other substrate processing device 2 (the second substrate processing device) is deleted. Thus, even if the substrate processing device in which the interruption has occurred and the substrate processing device that performs the additional film formation are different devices, it is possible to perform additional film formation on the substrate in the gray state using the additional film formation plan 32b.

[0061] Alternatively, it is also possible to send a log or the like from the control device 20 of the substrate processing device 2 (the first substrate processing device) in which the interruption has occurred to the control device 20 of another substrate processing device 2 (the second substrate processing device) that performs the additional film formation, and the control device 20 of the other substrate processing device 2 (the second substrate processing device) creates the additional film formation plan 32b. Then, the control device 20 of the other substrate processing device 2 (the second substrate processing device) controls the other substrate processing device 2 according to the additional film formation plan 32b for performing the additional film formation (refer to step S109). The additional film formation plan 32b stored in the ROM or the auxiliary storage device of the control device 20 of the other substrate processing device 2 (the second substrate processing device) is deleted. Thus, even if the substrate processing device in which the interruption has occurred and the substrate processing device that performs the additional film formation are different devices, it is possible to perform additional film formation on the substrate in the gray state using the additional film formation plan 32b.

[0062] In addition, the optimization device 3 can also be configured to be able to select whether to send out (output) or not send out (not output) the substrate in the gray state from the substrate processing device 2 when an interruption occurs (S102: "Yes"). By leaving the substrate in the gray state in the substrate processing device 2 in a vacuum atmosphere, it is possible to prevent the surface state of the substrate from changing due to exposure to the atmospheric atmosphere (for example, natural oxidation, adsorption of moisture, etc.).

[0063] In addition, it is preferable to automatically delete the additional film formation scheme 32b (step S110). Thereby, it is possible to prevent unnecessary schemes from remaining in the storage unit 32. For example, it is possible to prevent selection errors by the operator when selecting the processing scheme 32a to be executed in step S101 before executing step S101.

[0064] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the configurations listed in the above embodiments, combinations with other elements, etc., and the configurations shown herein. Regarding these aspects, changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention, and can be appropriately determined according to its application mode.

Claims

1. A control method for a substrate processing device, wherein the substrate processing device can perform film forming processing on a substrate according to a processing scheme, wherein the control method for the substrate processing device is characterized by comprising: When an interruption occurs in the middle of the processing plan, a step of preparing an additional film forming plan according to the time when the interruption occurs; and The step of controlling the substrate processing device to perform additional film formation on the substrate according to the additional film formation plan.

2. The control method of a substrate processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step of preparing the additional film forming plan, the additional film forming plan is stored in a storage unit. The control method further includes the step of deleting the additional film formation recipe from the storage unit after the step of performing the additional film formation.

3. The control method of a substrate processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steps of preparing the additional film forming scheme include: using at least any one of a log of the substrate processing apparatus, a measurement result of an actual sensor in the substrate processing apparatus, a measurement result of a virtual sensor in the substrate processing apparatus, and measurement data of a substrate surface of the substrate to determine the step at which the processing scheme was progressing when the interruption occurred; and The step of creating the additional film forming recipe based on a result of determining where the processing recipe had progressed when the interruption occurred.

4. The control method of a substrate processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further includes the step of determining whether an instruction is input by an operator. When the instruction is input, the steps of: preparing an additional film formation plan; and performing additional film formation on the substrate are performed.

5. The control method of a substrate processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate processing device comprises a first substrate processing device and a second substrate processing device, The control method of the substrate processing device comprises: When an interruption occurs in the middle of the processing plan in the first substrate processing device, a first control device corresponding to the first substrate processing device creates an additional film formation plan according to the time when the interruption occurs; A step of controlling so that the substrate processed in the first substrate processing device is transported to the second substrate processing device; The step of sending the additional film forming plan from the first control device to a second control device corresponding to the second substrate processing device; and The step of controlling the second substrate processing device to perform additional film formation on the substrate according to the additional film formation scheme.

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